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Syrian refugees wait in line for a daily bread ration distributed by the World Food Program at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Photograph: Lynsey Addario/The New York Times Syria’s refugee exodus now at more than 1.5 million

Influx testing neighbouring states

A Lebanese army soldier walks on a patrol after being in the northern port city of Tripoli. Photograph: Omar Ibrahim/Reuters Troops push into strategic rebel-held Syrian town

At least 10 killed since Sunday in battle for Qusayr near Lebanese border

British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, adjust their earpieces during a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Photograph: Thibault Camus/AP Hollande and Cameron alter position on Syria solution

Leaders step back from previous commitment to arm Syrian rebels

Brick layers work at a brick factory on the outskirts of Giza governorate in Egypt. Photograph: Asmaa Waguih/Reuters EU dissatisfied at delays returning frozen assets to north African countries

Assets of former Libyan, Tunisian and Egyptian regimes frozen during Arab Spring

Syrian opposition figure Rafif Jouejati. Photograph: Aidan Crawley “We will continue to say No to the Assad government”

Non-violent Syrian opposition network now backs call for military support

Iran’s chief negotiator Saeed Jalili. Mr Jalili is one of eight approved candidates in the upcoming election. Photograph: Osman Orsal/Reuters Ahmadinejad to appeal election decision

Guardian Council omitted two high-profile candidates from presidential election list

British foreign secretary William Hague has warned of a “regional catastrophe” if the conflict is not brought to an end and he has continued to call for an amendment of the EU arms embargo. Photograph: Dan Chung/Reuters Most Syrians reject extremist groups, says leader of new militia

Relatives carry the coffin of an Iraqi police officer killed by militants in Najaf on Monday. Photograph: Ahmad Mousa/Reuters Bombings in Iraq kill at least 12 people

More than 200 die in past week as Sunnia-Shia tensions threaten a bloodletting

Fighters from Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra on the front line during a clash with Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Photograph: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters Files (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS Rebel leader in hiding after disputed merger

Syrian group Jabhat al-Nusra being subsumed by Islamic State in Iraq and Levant

Israeli soldiers of the Golani brigade take part in an exercise near the border with Syria at the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Photograph: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images Damascus claims it destroyed Israeli military vehicle on joint border

In response guided missile fired and Syrian military outpost destroyed, says Israel

Israeli troops in Syrian border shoot-out

Incident likely to escalate tensions between Syria and Tel Aviv

The television footage of Jamal el-Dura together with his 12-year-old son Muhammad, crouching in fear as bullets flew by, became the most powerful image of the Palestinian uprising in 2000. Israel questions Gaza boy’s death

Report claims there was no evidence that Muhammad el-Dura was killed by Israeli fire

A Free Syrian Army fighter sits on sandbags in the refugee camp of Yarmouk, near Damascus. Photograph: Reuters Palestinians in Syria caught in the middle

Refugees in Yarmouk claim they are being attacked by the Free Syrian Army

Wave of attacks kill more than 70 people in Iraq

Violence heightens fears of return to civil war

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending a Likud party meeting in Jerusalem today. Photograph: Reuters Man refused overdraft kills four in Israeli bank

Gunman killed himself after police raided the bank in the southern city of Beersheba

A man stands in a damaged street filled with rubble in Deir al-Zor. Photograph: Khalil Ashawi/Reuters Up to 30 Hizbullah fighters killed in Syria

Members of Lebanese militant group killed while fighting alongside government forces

Wave of car bombings across Iraq leave at least 80 dead

Bloodshed has raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian violence

King Willem-Alexander: the terror alert was increased to “substantial” just weeks before his investiture. Photograph: Reuters/Jerry Lampen Dutch police detain girl who wished to become jihadist fighter against Assad
  • Europe
  • Peter Cluskey
  • May 20, 2013, 01:00

Netherlands intelligence estimates some 124 nationals have already travelled to the Syrian conflict

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu: “The Israeli government is acting in a responsible and measured way”. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Netanyahu says further strikes on Syria a possibility

Damascus vows to retaliate to future attacks, as Russians to send naval task force to defend base in Tartus

People run down a street in the city of Deir al-Zor, in eastern Syria, Photograph: Reuters/Khalil Ashawi Syrian army seizes rebel stronghold

Assad’s forces take Qusayr, a strategic town on smuggling route used by rebels

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